


anthelion

by houndstooth



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Ambiguous Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25880602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/houndstooth/pseuds/houndstooth
Summary: Mankind’s first hero.For Elidibus, this was the beginning of it all.
Relationships: Elidibus & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	anthelion

**Author's Note:**

> ok so **major** patch spoilers in this piece, so just be aware of that if you decide to read!

The first they had met, the star had been on the brink of being swallowed by Darkness. Newly sundered, it was weak and susceptible. It had little to protect itself when the more primal and malevolent elements crowded and took root within the soil and air, growing unchecked as the days and moons progressed. The people languished. They despaired. 

They thought and believed: _We are finished._

_Mankind is finished._

The star was fit to perish if the Darkness kept growing — an alarming echo of the calamity that had befallen the world of eld. 

But he would not — nay, _could not,_ let that happen. Not after all that they had lost to rebuild it. Not after all that they had lost in the division that followed. Elidibus worked diligently to coax it back from the brink, to tilt the balance back towards normality. The work was oh so slow, oh so tedious — and at times seemed to have such little noticeable effect. He could only do so much on his own. 

He could only help so little of this familiar, unfamiliar world. But as was his duty, his mission, he would keep going until the work was done. 

No matter how long it’d take. 

But out of the multitude of the weak and sundered creatures that had begun to call this star home, a lone warrior rose up to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world from the clutches of Darkness. They proclaimed themselves a simple footsoldier, an infantryman of no consequence — yet they were anything but. Though they paled in comparison to what their full form would have been capable of had they been whole, they still stood tall and forged ahead to fulfill their self appointed duty. 

His interest in them had been piqued; a mere _sundered_ determined to rescue the world from the brink? It was equal parts brave and foolish. 

What else could he have expected from them except failure?

He did not want them to not succeed, but what chance did they have, really, against such indiscriminate forces threatening the world? 

They were weak. Limited. Obstructed by their mortal body and flesh. They could not fully control what little aether remained left to be used. They relied upon a simple sword and shield when such things were liable to age and rot and chip and shatter. Even though they continuously threw themselves undeterred into the fray, they were still a sundered being incapable of reaching their full potential _._

They were still _lesser._

And yet. 

And _yet._

His continued observation of the warrior slowly and assuredly made him reevaluate his initial evaluations of them.

This warrior was only one branch on the overall tree — and of a sturdier sort than the rest, Elidibus had come to realize. Where the rest of their kind wallowed in despair, they steeped themself and sought to forge ahead into the unknown. A possibility could be explored there. It fell upon him to exhaust all avenues of potentiality. 

Even the ones that he could not see bearing fruit, if any at all.

Elidibus had sought them out himself after a time, with the intent to offer them his assistance on their quest. 

Perhaps it was that sliver of potential he saw in them that moved a smaller part of him to continue with such an unorthodox plan. It burned with such keen sense of duty and fervent desire to save this world with all the power that he possessed, and that meant reaching out to whatever resources were available to him. 

Deeper still, that part of him wanted to believe in this mortal’s sword. It wanted to believe in their shield. It wanted to believe in the days and moons the warrior spent on their tireless journey across the land with naught but the stars for company inspiring the downtrodden and raising up the weary. 

It wanted to believe that they could very well save the star, that success despite their limited state _was_ possible. 

If it wasn’t — then what was everything they had done _for?_ Why go through all that they have only to end up failing in those final, critical moments?

They wouldn’t. As long as Elidibus was at their side, he wouldn’t let them. 

The people cried out for salvation. The star begged for relief. Elidibus would do all he could to deliver it to them. 

Allying himself with this warrior was just the first of many steps. 

* * *

Elidibus was welcomed to their side without much contention. He said little about the true state of the world, or their sundered being — he would reveal those things in their proper time. He gave his title. He gave his reason for seeking their cooperation; _for the sake of the world,_ he had said. _I can tell you all that I know about what you are up against._

They traveled together, an odd pair; sundered and unsundered. Warrior and emissary. The first of such partnerships when the star needed it, and each never the same.

Before, Elidibus had merely observed their deeds and activities between his own diligent efforts to restore order. 

Now, he had quickly come to know them as a person. 

This warrior was talkative, surprisingly. Their eyes were hardened from years of experience with battle, yet still warm and kind. They were awfully fond of good food. Still, one thing in particular stood out above all else: their selflessness. 

They were selfless, to a degree that Elidibus had never truly seen in one of them before. Mankind had long become creatures of selfish needs, and few extended themselves to help others that needed it. And while Elidibus felt neither here or there about the minute going ons of the sundered, preferring to focus on the ultimate task at hand, the warrior did. 

They rarely, if _ever,_ refused a request for help. 

In fact, it seemed to be a common peculiarity they entertained the longer he traveled with them; they would assist the people with whatever they needed help with doing without much complaint, even if they didn’t receive some sort of reward for their services. People offered, of course; payment, a hot meal, room and board. They even offered things that Elidibus figured would have little value to a person like them. 

They would seem to exhaust all the duties available to them and, finally satisfied, move on in their quest. The people seemed to appreciate it; stories of their helpfulness had begun to precede them, and the glowing praise nigh endless. 

“Do you not grow weary of it?” Elidibus had asked one night, the glow of the campsite fire bathing their surroundings in a soft orange glow. “Surely they know you are toiling to save the very star from being enveloped in Darkness, yet they continue to give you such menial tasks like… clearing their gardens of pests or fetching frivolous items?”

His companion had only laughed, giving him a slight shake of their head. “Were it only that simple, my friend,” they say in response. “With what little they have left, they struggle to survive. If what I do helps them to keep going in this difficult world, then I do not mind doing whatever they ask of me.”

“But what you do for them puts you no closer to saving the world,” Elidibus points out. Picking weeds did not stave off the Darkness. Cleaning stables _definitely_ did not, either. And yet the warrior did these, and multitude other tasks, and regarded them with the same care and import as their overarching quest. “And would fulfilling that not be in their utmost interest instead?”

The warrior feeds another few pieces of kindling into the flame before answering. “‘Tis true that saving the world from Darkness is my ultimate goal. But it is _my_ quest, and no one else’s,” they say. “They still have lives to live in this world. What I do may be the only thing that gives them some small semblance of hope that all is not lost, and, for as long as I draw breath, will _not_ be.” 

Elidibus stares at them. They had such an unnatural determination. From where did they draw such strength from…?

“They have begun to call you a ‘hero’ for it,” Elidibus finds it in himself to respond, turning his attention back to the flames. He could not recall when it had started, but the title had spread far and fast. The people seemed to visibly brighten when they saw the warrior entering their villages and towns. Even the rulers of the land were more than inclined to treat them favorably. 

Mayhaps they too saw the innate and indomitable will the warrior possessed, like he did. Mayhaps they too were inspired by it, even just a little.

Just as he was.

“Aye, as much as I tell them not to,” the warrior replies with a sheepish smile. 

How curious. Elidibus looks at him, puzzled. “Why? You do not consider yourself one?”

“Not at all. Perhaps this is strange to admit, but… this is the most happy I have ever felt in all my years. Traveling, meeting new people, helping them however I can… it just feels _right._ It is as if it is my true calling, more than anything else.” The warrior shrugs. “To be called a hero for it is, well, somewhat odd.”

Elidibus gives him an understanding nod. It could no doubt be the strong remnant of the whole being they had once been. As much as it had been split, the soul could not deny the intrinsic parts of itself; it would seek to fill the gaps it could not understand in some form or another. 

He could not help but wonder who they had been before. 

“And if I must, I will not hesitate to…,” the warrior trails off, their calm voice slightly edged with uncertainty. 

Elidibus waits for the rest of their words to come. When they don’t continue, he looks up at them. There is… something sadly familiar in their eyes, a mixture of emotions Elidibus had seen them express before. Resignation. Concern. The slightest hint of fear. His chest tightens. 

These moments of hesitation had become more and more common. What the warrior left unsaid was clear. 

They are sundered. The days they had left to live were short, even more so as they continued on this quest. Death always lurked close by; it would come for them sooner or later. 

Maybe even at journey’s end. 

Elidibus knows this. He understands this. He was no stranger to the traditions performed and arrangements made whenever any of the sundered passed away. Prayers, offerings, being interred with what they cherished most. He had observed them evolve over the years, and he had no doubt they would change in the coming ones. 

This companionship was only to be a temporary arrangement — until the Darkness was pushed back and the star was saved. Elidibus _knows_ that. They would go their separate ways, afterwards. Yes, afterwards, he would… what? What would he do? 

(Why does he feel like this, at these moments?) 

Carry out the mission. Carry out his duty. Guide the path of mankind and this star and steer it on its proper course. _Save them._ Once it was done, they would all see one another again. 

His stomach churns.

He had promised this, a long time ago, when the laws of reality were rewritten and the star remade. 

To _who?_

The warrior shakes their head, as if abruptly dismissing whatever thought they had. Their downcast expression quickly turns into one more familiar and warm. “To think of such things is counterproductive. There is still so much I can do for this world. You understand what I mean, right?” 

“Yes, you have _much_ to do. More weeding and more deliveries, and whatever else the people put you up to,” Elidibus responds dryly. It didn’t matter. The safety of the star and its people came first. 

“Yes, yes, exactly that,” the warrior laughs.

Tomorrow, when the sun rose, their journey would continue. This conversation, like the others, would rest heavy in the back of Elidibus’ thoughts. 

It was not missed by either of them how often they recovered from these moments, when the weight and complexity of their duty pressed upon them. For their sakes, they did not let this mask of theirs crack in the vicinity of the people they helped. They couldn’t. 

It was Elidibus, and Elidibus alone, who was privy to such thoughts of theirs. 

_So no matter what, keep the hope alive._

* * *

He would embody their hope. 

He would give form to the inspiration they spread to all corners of the world when it was needed most, and fight with his all. 

He would become them, that hero he had met all those centuries ago, and strike down this Warrior of Light that had turned to the Darkness. He would fulfill the tasks he had been given as Elidibus, Emissary of the Convocation. 

Guide mankind.

Steer the star on its proper course.

_Save them._

(And at duty’s end, he’d… he’d…)

**Author's Note:**

> ok so this is raw and unedited feelings because _wow_ did this patch do a number on me and i needed to get it all done is some form or another. like i’m still crying with the trial music on repeat in the background i don’t know if i’ll recover 
> 
> thanks, as always, for reading...!


End file.
